Electric plug assembling machine



C. H. JUDISCH ELECTRIC PLUG ASSEMBLING MACHINE April 13, 1943.

Filed July 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1'7 fe a:

INVENTOR (Barl H. Jua/Sdi @www ATTORNEYS l April 13, 1943. c. H. JUDlscH ELECTRIC PLUG- ASSEMBLING MACHINE 2 sheetssheet 2 Filed July vl1, 1940 INVENTOR` rl Jud Patented Apr. 113, i943 ELECTRIC PLUG ASSEMBLING MACHINE Carl H. Judisch, Newv Haven, Conn., assignerv to The Whitney Blake Company, New Haven, Conn., a. corporation of Connecticut Application July 1l, 1940, Serial No., 344,841

11 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for assembling electrical connector plugs, and, moreA particularly, to a machine for assembling the prongs of a male type electrical connector plug which have been attachedA to conductors with a body of resilient material such as rubber which isv preformed with passageways for receiving and positioning the contact prongs.

Until recently, connector plugs havegenerally been formed of some hard insulating material such as ebonite and Bakelite. The conta-ct prongs were attached to the plug by screws or rivets and carried some securing means, such as screws, by means of which the conductor or cable was attached to the prongs. This type of connector plug has lmore or less fallen into disuso since the advent of the soft rubber or flexible type of connector plug.

The iiexible or soit rubber connector plug is generally preformed with a substantially Y- shaped passageway for receiving the end of the conductor and contact` prongs and the walls; of

the passageway given some special configuration cooperating with the contact prongs to'position and lockv the contact prongs in the passageway after the same have been-l received therein.

The advent ofV the flexible or soft rubber connector plug necessitated the adoption ofv assembly methods diierent than that used in connection with the previously used connector plugs.

`In one previously proposed machine, a pair of fingers are employed to spread the baseV or neck of the plug to permit a pair of arms to bek passed in parallel paths of movement through the spaced prong-receiving passageways and' intoV the conductor cavity and thence out through the base of the plug, whereupon an operator mounts on the exposed ends of the arms a pair of contact prongs which have previously been attached to conductors. The pull arms are then withdrawn' to pull the Contact prongs into their proper position in thev prong-receiving passageways.

In a second type of machine, the base of the neck is not distended during the assembly operation as the arms are cam actuatedl sov that the portion of the arms being passed through the plug body are given lateral movements to permit the free ends of the arms to follow the sinuous paths formed by the prong-receiving passageways and the conductor-receiving cavity.

rThe cycle of operation of this type of machine is identical with the type of machine first described, for the pull arms are rst pushed through the plug body to expose the free ends at the'rear or base of the plug, whereupon conductor prongs are mounted to the free ends and. the pull arms then retracted to-pull the prongs, into the prongreceiving passageways of the plug.

These previously proposed machines presented a number of difliculties. The ngers of the first type of machine which stretched the baseY of the capmany times tore or ripped the flexible materialof the` plug body necessitating the destruction of the ripped plug. This type of machine, inasmuch as it included in its cycle of operation the step of stretching the base of the plug was somewhat slower thanl the type of machine which didv not stretch thebase of the plug.

, The type of machine already described which depended upon the movement given the pull arms to permit their passage through the plug body obviated the diiliculty arising through the use of the base stretching type of machine, but were not eflicient in operation as the cam controlled movement given the pull arms increased the time` of assembling the prongs.

This type of machine'furthermore, as no means were provided' for preventing the frayed end of the conductor from catching `at the opening at the rear of the connector plug, oftentimes would not properly assemble the conductor attached prongs with the connector plug'. y

The machine of the present invention is designed to assemble connector plugs such as shown and described inf the United vStates patent to '.Biownstein,- No. 2,169,219, and preferably comprisesI a pairofpull arms moving in converging paths of movement during their passage through the plug body.

The pull` arms are substantially longer than any previouslyv proposed arms for machines of this type; and materially diier from these previously proposed arms in that the means by which the contact prongs are mounted thereon lie on adjacentl faces and 'intermediate the ends of the pull arms rather than at the endl asin the previously proposed arms.

The placing of the means by which the prongs may be mounted on the arms intermediate the ends voi the same provides an extension on each arm which, after the Contact vprongs are mounted on the arms, provide shields which engage the frayed end of the conductor so that when the arms are withdrawn and the contact prongs pulledI up into the connector plug, the frayed'end will not catch at the opening ign the reary of the plug and roll back, or further unravel.

The cycleof operationY of the machine is such that 1the pull arms are moved in converging straight line paths ofmovement until'the means an elongate arm I3. Each carriage I2 is provided on its underneath surface with a guide or follower I4.

The guides I4 ride in angularly disposed elongate cam slots I5 formed in the bed plate II, the walls of which, in cooperation with the guides I4, determine the path of movement of the forward ends of thecarriages I3. Each carriage I2 also carries on its underneath surface adjacent the rear edge thereof a second guide I6 which also operates in suitable formed cam slots I'I,

are being retracted, substantially circumscribe j, and clasp the frayed end of the conductor-'andv hold the end away from the wall of the conductor-receiving cavity. The arms, as they are retracted in angularly disposed paths of movement,

also, to some extent, distend the Wall ofthe conductor-receiving cavity to further prevent the frayed end of the conductor from catching at the edge of the cavity opening.

A releasing means is provided for disengaging the prongs from the arms after the prongs have been inserted so that the operator may remove the assembled conductor and connectorplug from the machine.

The machine herein disclosed obviates many of the difficulties experienced with the previously proposed machines, for the pull arms themselves prevent the frayed end of the conductor from catching at the opening of the conductor-receiving cavity and a proper assembly is insured. Due to the fact that the pull arms are actuated by simple mechanism in substantially straight line paths of movement, and the cycle of operation of the machine has been reduced toa minimum of operations, the machine is economical to build, requires little servicing and permits an ease of assembly not known before the present invention.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine showing the position of the parts just prior to the first movement of the pull arms.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the position of the parts as the pull arms are about to complete their movement through the plug.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the position of the parts after the pull arms have been passed through the plug body to the position wherein the operator may mount the prongs to the arms. y

Fig. 4 is again a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the contact prongs mounted to the pull arms and the position of the parts just prior to withdrawing or pulling movement of the arms.

Fig. 5nis a View similar to Fig. 1 and showing the position of the parts just prior to the completion of the withdrawing movement of the arms and showing the conductor prongs being released from the arms.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a contact prong mounted to a pull arm.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the releasing mechanism. Y

Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the prong-releasing mechanism of the present invention.

The machine of the present invention preferably comprises a support I0 to which Vis rigidly secured a bed plate I I. The bed plate II slidably supports a pair of carriages I2 each supporting the walls of which, in cooperation with the guides I6, also determine and control the movement of the carriages I3 when slidably moved on the bed plate II. To holdeach carriage I2 against the top surface of the plate II, a retaining member I8 is secured to the ends of the guides I4 and I6 projecting through the slots I5 and II, and these retaining members are held to the projecting ends of the guides by suitable bolts or other fastening means I9.

In the cycle of operation of the machine, the carriages I2 supporting the arms I3 are to be simultaneously moved tol pass the arms I3 through a plug body 20 mounted in a suitable support 2| also secured to the bed plate The plug 20 is provided with a substantially Y-shaped preformed passageway 22 to receive suitable contact prongs and the converging slots of the Y- shaped passageway 22 when the plug is positioned in the support 23 are coincident with extensions of the medial lines of the longer portions of the slots I5 and I1.

It will be seen, therefore, that the followers I4 and I6 will guide the movement of carriages I2 and cause the arms I3 as long as the guides are riding in the longer portion of the slots I5 and I'I to pass through the converging slots of the preformed Y-shaped passageway 22 of the connector plug 20.

When the guides I4 and I6 enter the offset portions 23 and 24 of the slots I5 and I1, respectively, the carriages I2, and, consequently, the arms I3 will be guided in paths approaching each other, and, as the carriages are moved until the guides I4 and I6 reach the extremity of the offset portions 23 and 24 respectively, the carriages and again, consequently, the arms I3 will lie in substantially parallel planes.

In this cycle of operation of the machine, the pull arms will have now been passed through the plug body to a position wherein resilient buttons 25, carried by the adjacent faces of the arms I3 intermediate the ends thereof, are exposed at the rear of the connector plug to allow an operator to mount contact prongs thereto by causing the .buttons 25 to snap into suitably preformed apertures in the free ends of the conductor prongs which have now been suitably secured to the terminals of a conductor.

The carriages I2 are now moved to causey them to return to the position shown in Fig. 1 and movement of the guides I4 and I5 in their respective slots I5 and I1 will cause the pull arms to move together until the free end portions 26 thereof contact and clasp the outer surface of the insulation sheath of the conductor 21 and hold the same against movement relative to the conductor Wire thereof.

Continued return movement of the carriages and pull arms will pull the contact prongs and the conductor 21 into the body of the plug, and,

'as the free end portions 26 of the pull arms I3 substantially circumscribe' the outer surface of the conductor 21 and be between the same and the opening ofthe passageway, the conductor will be brought within the conductor-receiving portion of the Y-shaped passageway 22 Without danger of the frayed end of the conductor catching at the opening at the rear of the plug body, and thence to its final position within the connectoi1 plug.

Any mechanism may be employed to reciprocate the carriages I3, but, in the preferred 'form of the invention, the carriages I3 are reciprocably moved by means of some suitable actuating mechanism, not shown, but which suitably reciprocates a rod 28 having secured to its outer end a yoke 29 extending transversely of the bed plate II and provided with an elongate slot .30. Secured to the underneath surface of each carriage I3 is a roller 3I moving within the slot 30.

To insure a straight line reciprocating motion, the rod 28 adjacent its outer end is provided with a slot receiving a tongue 32 extending longitudinally of the bed plate I I and secured thereto.

It will be seen that reciprocation of the rod 28 will cause a like movement to be given to the yoke 29 which in turn reciprocates the carriages i3, but yet, allows the carriages, due to the'roller and slot connection, to follow the paths of movement determined as previously explained by the follower and cam slot engagement with the bed plate II.

To permit an ease of assembly, there is preferably provided in the present invention, means for causing the contact, prongs to be released from the pull arms as the pull arms approach their final position during the withdrawing movement and after the contact prongsv have been properly mounted within the contact prong-receiving passageways.

This releasing means may take any construction desired, but, preferably,'referringl now to Fig. 9, the releasing mechanism 33 comprises a pair of disks 34 mounted in superposed position for relative rotation on the bed plate I I intermediate the paths of movement of the arms I8.

Each disk has a tangential projecting finger 35 provided with a slot 36 forming a claw at the end of the finger.

The adjacent faces of the disks are each formed with a groove.3'I, which grooves form, when the disks are superposed, a closed slot for receiving a coiled spring 38. Each groove carries a circular lug 3S which forms oppositely directed seats for the ends of the spring when the disks are superposed. The spring 38, acting on both disks, tends to hold the ngers 35 separated, as shown in Fig. 1, but allows the disks to be rotatedas the fingers 35 are engaged by the arms I3 during the latters movement.

The slots 35 are of a width greater than the width of the buttons 25 so that the buttons pass through the slots during the movement of the arms from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2.

When the arms are returning to the position shown in Fig. 1, after the contact prongs have been attached to the buttons 25, the contact prongs will engage the adjacent faces of the claws formed at the end of the ngers 35 and continued movement of the arms during their retract-ing movement will cause the claws to remove the prongs from the buttons 25.

After the prongs have been'removed from the buttons 25 and the arms I3 have returned to their position, as shown in Fig. l, the operator may remove the assembled connector cord and plug from the support-l 2| and insert an unassembled plug so that the cycle of operation may be repeated.

The resiliency of theplug body after the assembly operation has been completed will cause the tangs 40 formed on each contact prong to enter and seat within suitable notches 4I formed on a wall of each prong-receiving passage.

The reception of the tangs 4D within the notches 4I prevent movement of the prongsrelative to the plug body and the prongs will be permanently anchored within the plug.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I'claim:

1. A machine for assembling a twin conductor cord having a contact blade secured to each conductor with a connector plug having a pair of converging passageways extending therethrough and forming a single opening at the rear of the plug comprising means for holding the connector plug; a pair of spaced arms; means on said arms for detachably securing blades thereto; means for simultaneously moving said arms forwardly through the passageways to expose said blade securing means at the rear of the plug whereby blades may be mounted to said securing means, said moving means adapted to withdraw said arms from said plug for pulling said contact blades into the diverging openings of the passageways and the end of said cord into said opening; and means carried and controlled by the arms and extending over at least a part of the endof the ycord and movable therewith during the withdrawal of said arms, said means being disposed between the cord and adjacent wall portions of the single opening during the entire withdrawal operation and preventing the end of the cord from engaging said adjacent wall portions until the end of the cord and said blades have been drawn into their proper positions within said connector plug.

2. A machine for assembling a twin conductor cord having a contact prong secured to each conductor with a connector plug having a pair of converging passageways extending therethrough and forming a single opening at the rear ofthe plug comprising means for holding the connector plug; a pair of spaced arms; means for moving said arms forwardly through the passageways and out the single opening at the rear of the plug and then retracting the same for pulling the end of the cord into said opening and said contact prongs into the diverging openings of the passageways and partially through said plug; and means carried by said arms and extending between the cord and an adjacent wall portion of the single opening of a plug to prevent contact of the cord therewith until the `Contact Vplug for pulling said contact prongs into the diverging openings of the passageways and the end of the cord into said opening; and means formed by extensions of said arms and extending between the cord and an adjacent wall portion of the single opening of the plug to prevent contact of the cord therewith as the prongs are being pulled into the passageways and the end of the cord into the single opening.

4. A machine for assembling a double terminal connector cord having a contact bladesecure'd to each terminal within a connector plug having a base and a neck and formed with a central aperture extending from said neck to within said body and spaced blade-receiving slots extending from said base and connected to said central aperture comprising a plug holder; spaced blade-inserting members in alignment with said spaced bladereceiving slots; means on each of said members whereby a contact blade may be secured thereto; means for moving said members simultaneously through said slots to the rear of said neck and then withdrawing them for pulling a contact blade into each slot; distending means carried by and movable with each of said members in advance of said blade-securing means; and means associated with said moving means so constructed and arranged to space said distending means a greater `distance than the opening of the neck of a plug.

5. A machine for assembling a double terminal connector cord having a contact blade secured to each terminal within a connector plug of resilient material formed with a central aperture extending from the rear of said plug within said body and merging with spaced blade-receiving slots extending from within said base to the front of said plug comprising a plug holder; spaced blade-inserting members mounted in front of said plug; means on each of said members for securing a blade thereto; means for reciprocating said members to move the same simultaneously through said slots to the rear of said plug and withdrawing them for pulling a contact blade into each of the spaced slots; and means carried by said members in advance of the blade-securing means disposed between the blade and Wall for slidably engaging the edge of the aperture and for holding the same distended during the withdrawal movement of said members and extending beyond the end of the blade for preventing the end of the connector cord from engaging the edge of the central aperture until the end has been drawn into the latter and the contact blades are properly mounted within the spaced slots of the passageway.

6. A machine for assembling a twin conductor cord having a contact blade secured to each conductor within a connector plug formed with a central aperture extending from the rear of said plug to within said plug and merging with spaced blade-receiving slots extending to the front of said plug comprising a plug holder; spaced blade-inserting members in alignment with said spaced blade-receiving slots; means on each member for securing a blade thereto; means for moving said members simultaneously through said slots to the rear of said plug whereby blades may be secured thereto and then withdrawing said members for pulling a contact blade into each slot; and means carried by said members and extending beyond the blade-securing means and over the end of the conductor `cord and operated incident to movement of said members for clasping the end of the conductor cord and holding the insulating thereof against movement relative to said conductors until the end of said cord is disposed within the aperture and the blades are properly seated within said slots.

7. A machine for assembling a twin conductor cord having a contact blade secured to each conductor thereof'within a resilient connector plug having a pair of converging passagesi extending therethrough and forming a single opening on one side of said plug comprising a support; means on said support for holding a connector plug; a pair of spaced arms slidably mounted on said support; blade mounting means carried by the inner adjacent faces of said arms and spaced back from the free-ends thereof, the free ends of the arms'overlying the blades and part of the cord connected thereto and disposed between the walls of the single'opening and the blades and f cord; means for simultaneously reciprocating said arms; and means for guiding said arms during the movements thereof, said means causing said arms upon forward movement to move in converging straight line paths through said passageways to a position wherein said blade mounting means extend beyond said single opening and then laterally whereby blades may be attached to said mounting means, said guide means upon return movement of said arms causing the free ends thereof to move together and then withdrawn from said plug in diverging straightl line paths of movement to pull the blades into said passageways and partially through said plug, the movement together of the free ends of said arms causing the same to clasp ythe insulating sheath of said cord adjacent the end thereof to'prevent said sheath from moving relative to the conductors of said cord as the contact blades and the cord are drawn into their proper position within said plug.

8. A machine for assembling a twin'conductor cord having a contact blade secured to each conductor within aresilient connector plug having a substantially Y-shaped passageway extending therethrough and defining a central aperture on one side of said plug and a pair of spaced apertures on the opposite side of said plug comprising a support; means on said support for holding the connector plug; a pair of spaced arms slidably mounted on said support; means on the inner faces of said arms for securing blades thereto; means for simultaneously reciprocating said arms to cause the same to pass through said Y- shaped passage so that blades may be placed inbetween said arms and mounted to said securing means and then return said arms to pull the contact blades into the passageway of said plug, said arms lying between the outer walls of the opening and the blades to guide said blades into position; and means carried by said support for removing the contact blades from said arms after the contact blades have been properly inserted in the diverging openings, said means comprising a claw engaging along the inner face of each arm and entering between said arm and its attached blade for prying the blades from the inner faces of said arms as the arms move the blades into engagement with the claws.

9. A machine for assembling a twin conductor cord having a contact blade secured to each conductor within a resilient connector plug having a substantially Y-shaped passageway extending therethrough and dening a central aperture on one side of said plug and a pair of spaced apertures on the opposite side of said plug comprising a support; means on said support for holding the connector plug; a pair of arms slidably mounted on said support; means on the adjacent faces of said arms for securing blades thereto; means for simultaneously reciprocating said arms; cam means for guiding said arms during their movements to cause the same to pass through said Y-shaped passageway in straight line paths of movement coincident with the converging openings of said passageway, said cam means during said movement adapted to laterally spread the portion of said arms passed through said connector plug s that blades may be mounted to the securing means and return them to unspi'ead condition and causing said arms to reverse their path of movement upon their withdrawal from said plug to allow said arms to pull the blades into said passageway and the end of the cord into said aperture; and means carried by said arms extending beyond the blade-securing means and overlying the end of the cord, said means being moved by the arms returning to unspread condition for clasping the cord adjacent the end thereof as the end is being pulled into said aperture to prevent said end from engaging adjacent wall portions of said aperture.

l0. A machine for assembling a twin conductor cord having a contact blade secured to each conductor with a connector plug having a pair of converging passageways extending therethrough and forming a single opening at the rear of the plug, comprising an elongate support; means carried by said support for holding the plug; a pair of spaced carriages slidably mounted on said support; an arm carried by each carriage extending toward said plug holding means; means on the adjacent faces of said arms for securing blades thereto; a yoke mounted transversely of said support and provided with 'an elongate slot extending longitudinally thereof; means carried by the ends of said carriages and disposed within said slot for coupling the carriages to said yoke; means for reciprocably moving the yoke longitudinally of said support to reciprooate the arms carried by said carriages guide means for guiding the movements of said arms when the yoke is reciprocated, said guide means causing said arms upon reciprocation of said yoke to move through the passageways in paths of movement coincident with the passageways to a position wherein said blade mounting means are exposed at the rear of said plug, said guide means being adapted upon movement of the arms to said position to cause the extending ends thereof to spread laterally so that blades may be mounted to the said securing means, said guide means causing said arms upon their return movement to reverse the path of movement whereby said blades are pulled into the passageways and the end of the cord into said opening; and means carried by the arms for preventing the end of said cord from engaging the edges of the'opening in the rear of the plug until said blades are properly inserted within said passageways and the cord within the opening by the return movement of said arms.

11. A machine for .assembling a twin conductor cord having a contact blade secured to each conductor within a connector plug formed with a central aperture extending from the rear of said plug to within said plug and emerging with spaced blade-receiving slots extending to the front of said plug, comprising a plug holder; spaced blade-inserting members in alignment with said spaced blade-receiving slots in the plug; means on the inner face of each member displaced from the end thereof for securing the blade thereto; and means for moving said members simultaneously through the slots to the rear of said plug to have blades secured thereto and withdrawing said members for pulling a contact blade into each slot, the ends of the members being disposed between the contact blades and the outer walls of the aperture and holding the blades out of contact with said walls as the blades are drawn into the plug.

CARL H. JUDISCH.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTI N Patent No. 2,516,595. Apr-11 15, 19M

CARL H. .TUDISCIL Itl is hereby certified that error appears in thel printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows Page LL, first column, line 75, claim 6, after the word "insulating insert -covering; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

signed mal sealed this 8th day of June, A. D. 19LL5.-

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of' Patents. 

